Various enclosures for an electronic device have been designed to specifically house the electronic device for display. A commonly known device is shown in FIG. 1. In order to display large amounts of visual information, automakers typically integrate a large reconfigurable display screen. This screen is used to display complex information to the driver and passengers. Unfortunately, these large displays take up considerable room (a typical automotive display measures 7″ or more in diagonal), and are typically expensive and relatively heavy.
Electronic devices, such as portable media players, personal navigation systems, mobile phones, or the like, have become very popular for use in vehicles. As the popularity of such electronic devices has increased in the last several years, new challenges have emerged.
As automakers are under considerable pressure to reduce vehicle mass and size (while at the same time increasing useful interior space), interior components need to be downsized. Unfortunately, if information display sizes decrease, typically so does the legibility of its information.
As such, a challenge exists to create a display housing apparatus that provides legible information while downsizing interior components and also adjusting the environment of the electronic device enclosed in the display housing apparatus (e.g., by rotating, shifting, etc. the device).
An additional challenge exists to provide security for the electronic devices when left in a parked or unsupervised car. Various products have been developed to secure portable electronic devices when left in a vehicle. Unfortunately, these products have always been intrusive and not well integrated into the vehicle interior. For instance, a driver and/or a passenger may place one or more devices in a vehicle so that the device is out of sight. However, if the device is not firmly secured to the vehicle interior, then the device may still be stolen. Alternatively, if the device is firmly secured to the vehicle, previous products are intrusive in that the products do not provide an easy way to lock and unlock a device, and do not provide a way to place the device out of sight or out of the driver's and/or passengers' way.
Moreover, various enclosures for electronic devices have been designed to specifically protect the device in the event of extreme climate conditions, such as extreme heat, humidity, etc. A commonly known device is shown in FIG. 2, which shows an enclosure containing phase change materials which help to mitigate the extreme swings in external temperatures, and protect the device from the harsh conditions of the outside environment, such as a desert, or the like. However, an apparatus for controlling or conditioning a climate for electronic devices has not been employed in automotive vehicles.
Many of the popular electronic devices that users may leave in a vehicle, unfortunately, do not meet the durability requirements of OEM integrated vehicle electronics. As such, environmental conditions of concern include extreme temperatures, humidity, vibration, etc. For instance, a driver and/or a passenger may place one or more devices in a vehicle, and such devices may be damaged due to vibration caused while the vehicle is in motion. Additionally, the devices may also be damaged due to extreme temperatures and/or humidity, especially when a driver and/or passenger leaves the devices in a vehicle for relatively long periods of time. As such, these devices can not be stored in the vehicle without the risk of damaging the devices. In some cases, extreme temperatures will not permanently damage the device, but will render the device temporarily non-functional, such as in below freezing weather.
In view of the above, there is a need in the art for a display apparatus for housing electronic devices, such as hand-held devices, mobile devices, etc., in which a display of the device is easily viewable by a driver and passenger(s).
There is also a need in the art for a display apparatus to provide climate conditioning for electronic devices, such as hand-held devices, mobile devices, etc., in which temperature, humidity, and/or vibration may be controlled, conditioned, and/or mitigated to prevent permanent damage or temporary non-functionality of a mobile device enclosed within the apparatus. It would also be desirable if the same apparatus could control or condition the environment of the mobile device continually, during periods of time, and/or without supervision of a vehicle driver and/or passenger.
There is also a need in the art for a housing display apparatus that secures the enclosed electronic devices, such as mobile or non-mobile, in which the devices are placed out of sight and are firmly secured to the vehicle interior, especially when the devices are not in use and/or when the vehicle is parked. It would also be desirable if the same apparatus could provide an easy way to secure the device to the vehicle after using the device, and to unlock the device from the vehicle before using the device.